Valve connector



i c. w. HOFFMAN ETAL. 2,463,175

VALVE cNNEoToR Filed July 25, 1946 ze ze A 28 26 INVENTOR. CW HOFFMAN T'. A. ST CLAIR 'BY z I x "ATTORN EYS Patented'Muo l,

VALVE CONNECTOR Clarence W. Hoffman and Theodore A. St. Clair,

Bartlesville, Okla., assignors to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application July 25, 1946, Serial No. 686,251

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a valve connector. In one of its more specic aspects it relates to a valve connector adapted to make connection between a flexible hose and a valve.

Llqueed petroleum gases are transported and stored under considerable pressure on account of their relatively low boiling points. and high vapor pressure at atmospheric temperature. Propane has a vapor pressure of about 188.6 pounds per square inch at 100 F., while that for butane is about 51.6 pounds at the same temperature. Mixtures of these two exhibit total pressure values between those of the pure compounds at a corresponding temperature.

Such liqueiied petroleum gases are widely used as bottled gas in areas where natural or articial gas is not available. Fo;` such use steel cylinders or bottles are used in dispensing these products to consumers. These cylinders are heavy walled steel containers fitted with valves adapted for high pressure service. Bulk terminals or stations perform refill service when bottles are empty. In a refilling operation it is common practice to use a flexible high pressure hose extending from a source of L. P. G. to a cylinder to be filled. The end of such a hose is connected by a coupling to the valve on a cylinder for this lling operation.

Equipment manufacturers make many types of these valves for use n L. P. G. cylinders and most of these valves are made with 13/4 inch diameter inlet openings with No. 6 acme threads.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates the connecting end of a new type ller valve.

Figure 4 illustrates the connecting end of a iiller valve of standard manufacture.

Referring to the assembly illustrated in Figure 1, our connector is composed of three parts, a nipple II. a collar or coupling I2 and a gasket I3.

On the upper end of the nipple member I I are threads Il for fastening to the outlet end of a iilling hose, not shown. On the lower extremity Flexible illler hose having connectors with this thread will therefore lit on such valves.

A multiple outlet valve described in an application for patent, Serial No. 650,106 is being widely used at the present time. The standard ller hose connectors do not nt with this multiple outlet valve, and it is one object of our invention to devise a valve connector which will iit on the multiple outlet valve of Serial No. 650,106 and onthe standard multiple outlet valve.

Another object of our invention is to devise a valve connector for such service as herein disclosed which is simple to constructl and easy to connect and disconnect from the valves.

Still other objects and advantages ofour invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a careful study of 4the following disclosure, which when taken with the attached drawing respectively describes and illustrates a preferred form of our valve connector assembly.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 illustrates a sectional elevation of our of the nipple is a lip or ilange I5 adapted to hold the gasket I3 iirmly in place. A shoulder I6 on the nipple provides a stop so as to limit the downward movement of the collar with respect to the nipple.

The threads I4 are conventional right handed threads while the threads I'I are No. 6 acme threads in match the threads of the several types of lilling valves.

The threads I8 are left handed threads on the nipple and collar and of small pitch as compared to the pitch of the acme threads I'I.

The annular space I8 provided between the nipple and collar fulllls a purpose when my connector is used with a standard flller valve, such as the one illustrated in part, in Figure 4.

The resilient gasket member I3 may be constructed in the form as illustrated in Figure l. The grooved portion is made to t into the lipped end of the nipple member so that the gasket will remain iixed and in place. Material of construction may be of the synthetic rubber type, or any suitable material provided, of course, it can withstand solvent action of the hydrocarbons with which it comes in contact. These interiltting lipped surfaces need not necessarily be shaped exactly as illustrated, the point being some provision for retaining the gasket in position. l

The diameter of the shoulder I6 of the nipple should be smaller than the smallest diameter of the acme threaded section I 'I of the collar so that as the hose connecting end of the nipple is passed through the collar in assembling the unit, the shoulder I6 will pass freely through this threaded section.

A hole 20 is drilled parallel to the longitudinal axis of the assembly in the collar member, as

Figure 2 shows the positioning of this hole 20.

Figure 3 illustrates the coupling end of a filler valve as described in the hereinbefore mentioned patent application. The acme threaded portion I'I of the collar I2 is screwed onto a corresponding acme threaded portion 21 of this valve. Since these acme threads are right handed. turning the collar to the right will advance the collar on the valve. At the same time since the threads I8 on the collar and nipple are left handed, this same turning of the collar will advance the nipple in the collar. Upon continued turning of the collar to the right the sealing surface 36 of the valve meets the gasket I3 and by slight forced turning of the coll-ar a pressure restraining seal is made between the lower end of the nipple and the surface 26 through compression of the gasket I3.

After a filling operation is complete, the collar is turned in the reversed direction (to the left) and the seal is broken. When the seal is broken gaseous pressure in the space 29-30 in the nipple and above the valve member 28 is released through the opening 20. When this pressure is fully released the collar I2 may then be removed from the valve by hand. a

Figure 4 illustrates a standard type valve for use.

with L. P. G. cylinders. A connection of this valve with my valve tting is made in the same manner as above described, that is, the collar I2 is turned to the right when the collar advances on to the threaded section 39 of this valve while the space I9, shown in Figure 1. During this attaching operation, as with the valve of Figure 3, the (nipple and) gasket I3 travels downward to contact the gasket 36 on account of the left hand threads I8. In construction of our fitting it is necessary to make certain that the distance 3| when the gasket I3 is in compression is greater than the distance 40 in Figure 4 when the gasket 36 is in compression. That is, the space I9 accommodates the advance end of the acme threaded portion 38 of this valve under all conditions.

lTo disconnect our fitting from the valve of Figure 4 it is merely necessary to rotate the collar to the left when the valve and gasket 36 separate from the nipple and gasket I 3. Pressure is vented through the opening 20. Some standard valves have vent openings such as indicated by reference numeral 4I. 'l'

While for ease vof manufacture and freedom from rusting we prefer to make our valve con nector from brass bar stock, other suitable metal stocks may be used.

One important point to be considered in using brass is safety, and by using brass, since sparking between this material and steel does not occur, possible explosions from this cause are Having disclosed our invention. we claim:

1. A itting for making connection between a conduit and a illler valve for a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder comprising a nipple member having means at one end for attachment to said conduit and having a gasket retaining means at the other end and a threaded section intermediate the ends; a rotatable collar member adjacent said other end and threaded at one end to mesh with said intermediate threaded section of the nipple and threaded at its other end to mesh with iiller valve threads; and a gasket ntted to said gasket retaining means.

2. A tting for making a iluidtight connection between a conduit and a filler valve for a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder comprising a nipple member having means at one end for attachment to said conduit and having a gasket retaining means at the other end adapted to hold an annular shaped gasket adjacent said other end of the nipple and an exterior threaded section intermediate the ends; a rotatable collar member adjacent said gasket end of the nipple and having interior'threads at one end to mesh with said intermediate threaded section of the nipple and threaded at its other end to mesh with threads on a illler valve; and an annular resilient gasket tted to said gasket retaining means.

3. A itting for making a fluidtight connection between a conduit and a filler valve for a liqueed petroleum gas cylinder comprising, in combination, a nipple member having means at one end for attachment to said conduit, gasket retaining means at the other end adapted to hold an annular shaped gasket, and an exteriorly threaded section intermediate the ends thereof; a rotatable collar member adjacent said gasket end of the nipple having interior threads at one end to mesh with said intermediate threaded section, and threads at the other end of said collar member which are of opposite hand With respect to said interior threads for engagement with threads on a ller valve, whereby rotation of said collar effects movement of said nipple and filler valve in opposite directions; and an annular resilient gasket fitted to said gasket retaining means.

4. A tting for making a fiuidtight connection between a conduit and a ller valve for a liqueed petroleum gas cylinder comprising, in combination, a nipple member having means at one end for attachment to said conduit, gasket retaining means at the other end adapted to hold an annular shaped gasket, said gasket retaining means being of reduced diameter with respect to the adjacent portion of the nipple member, and an exteriorly threaded section intermediate the ends thereof a rotatable collar member adjacent said gasket end of the nipple having interior threads at one end to mesh with said intermediate threaded section and threads at the other end of said collar member which are of opposite hand with respect to said interior threads to mesh with threads on a filler valve, said collar member and said reduced portion of the nipple defining an annular chamber communicating with the interior of said collar whereby the fitting is adapted to receive filler valves of diierent sizes; 1nd an annular resilient gasket iitted to said gasket retaining means.

5. The tting of claim 4 wherein the collar member at its filler valve threaded end contains an opening in its side wall, the longitudinal axis of this opening being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent threaded section and said opening communicating with the annular cham- 6 ber dened by said collar and reduced portion of said nipple member. REFERENCES CITED 6. The tting of claim 4 wherein the interme.. The following references are of record in the diate threaded section of the nipple and the meshle of this patent: ing collar threads are left hand threads and the 5 UNITED TES TENT threads af the other end of the collar are right STA PA s hand threads of greater pitch than said left hand Number Name Date threads and wherein the collar member at its 290,045 Hardy Dec. il, 1883 filler ,valve threaded end contains an opening in 500,412 McIntyre June 27. 1893 its sidewall, the longitudinal axis of this opening 10 y2,082,164 Karrer June 1, 1937 being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adja- 'cent threaded section and said opening communicating with the annular chamber defined by said collar and the reduced portion ofV said nipple member. u

' CLARENCE W. HOFFMAN.

THEODORE A. ST. CLAIR. 

